Volatile Material Dispenser

ABSTRACT

A dispenser includes a base for receiving a volatile material containing reservoir. A cover is attached to the base having at least one aperture and at least one series of ports. A regulating plate is operatively attached to the cover and has at least one window and at least one series of bores. Manipulation of the regulating plate allows for the registration of the bores and the ports to release a volatile material therethrough.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.13/686,657, filed on Nov. 27, 2012.

REFERENCE REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

SEQUENTIAL LISTING

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates generally to a volatile materialdispensing system and, more specifically, to a dispenser capable ofcontrolling the dispensing of a volatile material from a cartridge.

2. Description of the Background of the Invention

Adjustable passive dispensers are popular worldwide and, as such,consumers' demands as to the capabilities and aesthetics of suchdispensers are diverse. It is therefore desirable to create a dispensingsystem that can easily and inexpensively be adapted to conform to localmarket demands and user preferences. For example, common passivedispensers utilize a volatile material refill cartridge disposedtherein, however, various localities use different sized refillcartridges. It would be beneficial to manufacturers to manufacture asingle dispenser that can be sold in various markets regardless of thesize of the refill cartridges sold in that market. It is also beneficialto consumers to not have to worry about inserting the properly sizedrefill cartridge within the appropriate dispenser. Thus, there is a needfor a dispenser that can receive various sized refill cartridges withoutcompromising the performance of the dispenser.

In addition to the above-noted technical capabilities, the aestheticappearance and size of such dispensers is also an important issue,especially with dispensers that are used and displayed in a user's caror home. Dispensers that are used in an automobile are often attached toa visor or some other visible location, in which the design of thedispenser may be readily observed. Larger, bulkier dispensers are lessaesthetically pleasing and take up more visual space in the vehicle.Thus, it is important to minimize the visual weight of the dispenser.Further, while prior art dispensers are designed with current marketpreferences in mind, the appearance of these dispensers is not easilyand inexpensively modifiable, such that manufacturers and consumers canchange the appearance of the dispenser to keep up with current markettrends and evolving preferences. Rather, manufacturers have to currentlyredesign and manufacture new dispensers to keep up with the changingmarket and consumers must buy a completely new dispenser in response totheir changing preferences.

Therefore, there exists a need for a dispenser that is adaptable todifferent market specifications, both technically and aesthetically,while still providing users with an easy to use adjustable passivedispenser.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, a dispenser includes a base adapted to receive a volatilematerial containing reservoir therein. A cover is attached to the basehaving at least one aperture and at least one series of ports. Aregulating plate is operatively attached to the cover and has at leastone window and at least one series of bores. Manipulation of theregulating plate allows for the registration of the bores and the portsto release a volatile material therethrough.

In another aspect, a dispenser includes a base adapted to receive avolatile material containing reservoir therein. A cover is attached tothe base having at least one aperture. A regulating plate is operativelyattached to the cover and has at least one window and a series of bores.The series of bores includes at least two bores, each of which isprovided within a detent of the regulating plate. Registration of one ormore of the bores provides a visual indication of a level of dispensingintensity.

In yet another aspect, a dispenser includes a volatile materialcontaining reservoir and a cover having at least one aperture and aseries of ports. A regulating plate is operatively attached to the coverand has at least one window and a series of bores. The series of portsand bores have a different geometric shape than the at least one window.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a front, top, and side of a volatilematerial dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the volatile material dispenser ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a base of the volatile material dispenserof FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the base of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a cartridge for use in the dispenser;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the volatile material dispenser of FIG. 1taken generally along the line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the volatile material dispenser of FIG. 1taken generally along the line 7-7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7A is a sectional view of the volatile material dispenser similarto FIG. 7, having a different cartridge therein;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of an alternative base for the volatilematerial dispenser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 7, having the base ofFIG. 8;

FIG. 9A is a sectional view of the volatile material dispenser of FIG.9, with a different cartridge therein;

FIG. 10 is an exploded bottom isometric view of the volatile materialdispenser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a bottom isometric view of the volatile material dispenser ofFIG. 1, with a different clip;

FIG. 12 is a top isometric view of an alternative cover for a volatilematerial dispenser;

FIG. 12A is a bottom isometric view of the cover shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 13 is a top isometric view of a further alternative cover for avolatile material dispenser;

FIG. 13A is a bottom isometric view of the cover shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 14 is a top isometric view of a still further embodiment of a coverfor a volatile material dispenser;

FIG. 14A is a bottom isometric view of the cover shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a cover for avolatile material dispenser;

FIG. 15A is a top plan view of a regulating plate for the cover of FIG.15;

FIG. 16 is a sectional view similar to that of FIG. 7, with a differentbase and cartridge therein.

FIG. 17 is an isometric view of a front, top, and side of anotherembodiment of a volatile material dispenser;

FIG. 18 is a side elevational view of the volatile material dispenser ofFIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is an isometric view of a base of the volatile materialdispenser of FIG. 17;

FIG. 20 is a side elevational view of the base of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is a top view of the volatile material dispenser of FIG. 17;

FIG. 22 is a top view of a regulating plate of the volatile materialdispenser of FIG. 17;

FIG. 23 is an exploded bottom isometric view of the volatile materialdispenser of FIG. 17; and

FIG. 24 is a sectional view of the volatile material dispenser of FIG.17 taken generally along the line 24-24 of FIG. 17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-10, a volatile material dispensing system 100includes a dispenser 102, which generally includes a base 104 and aninterchangeable cover 106. The cover 106 attaches to the base 104 todefine a chamber 108 therebetween. A refill cartridge 110 is held withinthe chamber 108 (see FIGS. 6-7A) and includes a reservoir 112 having avolatile material therein. The dispenser 102 also includes a regulatingplate 114 mounted under the cover 106 such that the regulating plate 114is movable relative to the cover 106.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the base 104 generally includes an upperbody portion 120 and a lower body portion 122. The lower body portion122 depends from the upper body portion. 120 and defines a recess 124therein. The upper body portion 122 includes a shelf 126 that extendsabout an upper perimeter of the lower body portion 122. The base 104therefore comprises a stepped-in profile, which creates the illusionthat the dispenser 102 has a lower visual weight than prior artdispensers. Specifically,the visual weight when viewed from the sidesabout an axis Y, or at an angle thereto, is greatly decreased. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 1, the base 104 is not visible when thedispenser 102 is viewed at an angle from above and to the side. Thelighter appearance of the dispenser 102 is more aesthetically pleasingto users than prior, bulkier appearing dispensers.

The refill cartridge 110 is similar to those described in U.S. Pat. No.7,441,360. As shown in FIGS. 5-7A, the cartridge 110 includes a flange136 surrounding the reservoir 112. A permeable membrane 138 is adheredto the flange 136 to cover the reservoir 112 and extends across thecartridge 110. As noted above, the reservoir 112 is filled with avolatile material, which may comprise an active ingredient for diffusioninto the surrounding atmosphere, such as a fragrance, air freshener,odor eliminator, or insect repellant. It is contemplated that any typeof volatile material suited for dispersal through the permeable membrane138 may be used with the present embodiments described herein. Animpermeable laminate 140 is releasably adhered to the cartridge 110 overthe permeable membrane to prevent release of the volatile material priorto use. Although the cartridge of the present embodiment has a singlereservoir 112, it is contemplated that cartridges having two or morereservoirs filled with the same or different volatile materials may beused.

In use, as best illustrated in FIGS. 6-7A, the cartridge 110 is insertedwithin the e base 104 such that the reservoir 112 aligns within therecess 124 in the lower portion 122 of the base 104. The flange 136rests on a plurality of ribs 142 disposed on the shelf 126 around therecess 124. The ribs 142 assist in maintaining the proper alignment ofthe cartridge 110 within the dispenser 102, such that a portion of therefill cartridge 110 is retained at a constant distance H from a distalmost portion of the regulating plate 114. In the present embodiment, thedistance H is a line that is perpendicular to a plane defined by thepermeable membrane 138 and is measured between an inner surface of themost distal portion of the regulating plate, i.e., the portion(s) of theregulating plate farthest from the cartridge 110, and the plane definedby the permeable membrane 138. In some embodiments, the distance H maybe constant about the entirety of the cartridge or reservoir, whereas inother embodiments, e.g., such as the one shown in FIGS. 1-10, thedistance H may be measured at a discrete point, e.g., the apex of thedomed regulating plate shown in FIGS. 7 and 7A. Preferably, the distanceH is between about 0.25 mm to about 10 mm, and more preferably betweenabout 0.5 mm to about 3 mm.

Turning to FIG. 7, a 12 gram refill cartridge 110 is depicted, in whichthe reservoir 112 rests on a bottom surface 144 of the recess 124 suchthat the permeable membrane 138 of the refill cartridge 110 ismaintained a distance H from the distal most portion of the innersurface of the regulating plate 114. However, if a smaller refillcartridge 110 is used, such as the 8 gram refill cartridge 110 shown inFIG. 6A, the reservoir 112 of the cartridge 110 would be too small torest on the bottom surface 144 of the recess 124 and still maintain thesame distance H between the cartridge 110 and the cover 106 without theribs 142. Thus, the ribs 142 allow different sized refill cartridges 110to be used within the same dispenser 102. The ribs 142 also raise theflange 136 above the shelf 126, thereby creating a gap 146 between theshelf 126 and the flange 136 to provide a user with a way to grasp theflange 136 and remove the cartridge 110 from within the base 104.

In a preferred embodiment, the flange 136 is captured between the ribs142 and an inner surface of one or more of the cover 106 and theregulating plate 114 to securely retain the cartridge 110 within thedispenser 102. In another preferred embodiment, the flange 136 isloosely retained between the ribs 142 and the cover 106 and/orregulating plate 114, so that the cartridge 110 may move within thedispenser 102. However, the distance H in either embodiment is measured,as noted above, when the flange 136 is resting on the ribs 142.

In the present embodiment, the reservoir 112 of the cartridge 110 has asimilar shape as the recess 124 of the base 104, which provides improvedrefill cartridge orientation within the dispenser 102 by providing aclear indication to the user of the proper way to insert the refillcartridge 110. Further, having a similarly shaped cartridge 110 andrecess 124 also prevents the refill cartridge 110 from substantiallymoving when the dispenser 102 is assembled and being used. However, itis contemplated that refill cartridges 110 with reservoirs 112 shapeddifferently than the recess 124 may be used in alternative embodiments.

Referring to FIGS. 8-9A, the base 104 is shown to optionally include adomed portion 148 disposed on the bottom surface 144 of the base 104.The domed portion 148 assists in the proper placement of the refillcartridge 110 within the dispenser 102 and in managing any sizevariations between different refill cartridges 110. In use, the domedportion 148 contacts a bottom portion of the reservoir 112 to preventthe cartridge 100 from resting too low within the recess 124. The domedportion 148 thereby assists in holding the cartridge 100 at thepreferred distance H from the cover 106, regardless of the size of therefill cartridge 110 (see FIGS. 9 and 9A). The domed portion 148 alsoprovides a force F against the reservoir 112 of the cartridge 110, whichcauses the reservoir 112 to deflect inwardly. The deflection of thereservoir 112 assists in transferring the volatile material within therefill cartridge 110 toward the permeable membrane 136 to aid in thediffusion of the volatile material from the cartridge 102. Additionally,the force F from the domed portion 148 against the reservoir 112 alsoassists in distributing the volatile material to peripheral portions ofthe reservoir 112 to prevent pooling of the volatile material within thecenter of the cartridge 110.

In an alternative embodiment, rather than deflecting inwardly, thereservoir 112 may include a corresponding domed recess 148 (seealternative domed recess 148′ in FIG. 10) that aligns with the domedportion 148 of the base 104. The corresponding domed portions 148, 148′provide an indication to the user of the proper orientation of therefill cartridge 110 during insertion. Further, the corresponding domedportions 148, 148′ may act as a lock and key mechanism to preventimproper refill cartridges 110 from being inserted into the dispenser102, which could damage the dispenser 102 or cause the dispenser to workimproperly. Alternatively, the domed portions 148, 148 may be providedin any complementary shape.

After the refill cartridge 110 is inserted into the base 104 and theimpermeable laminate 140 is removed, the cover 106 is then mounted ontothe base 104 over the cartridge 110. The cover 106 includes two wings160 depending from opposing ends of the cover 106. The wings 160 includeinwardly extending flanges 162 that attach below the upper body portion120 of the base 104 to achieve a releasable attachment of the cover 106to the base 104 by way of a snap-fit connection. Alternatively, theflanges 162 may be attached by friction fit to the base 104 or the cover106 may be alternatively secured to the base by any other means known toone of ordinary skill.

A user can separate the cover 106 from the base 104 by applyingsufficient force to portions of the wings 160 extending below theflanges 162, which cause the flanges 162 to deflect out from below theupper body portion 120 of the base 104. The cover 106 may thereafter beremoved from the base 104. After separation of the cover 106 from thebase 104, a user may replace an exhausted refill cartridge 110 with anew cartridge. Additionally, the user may remove the cover 106 andreplace it with an alternative cover 106 depending on user preferencesas relates to aesthetics and performance. Further, the symmetry betweenthe base 104 and the cover 106 allows the user to attach the cover 106to the base 104 in any orientation.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 10, the cover 106 comprises a firstportion 164 that includes bores, holes, or apertures and a secondportion 166 that does not include any bores, holes, or apertures. In oneparticular embodiment, the first portion 164 may include any number ofapertures 168, e.g., one or more. The apertures 168 may comprise anygeometric shape or size. Preferably, the apertures 168 comprise betweenabout 2% to about 50% and more preferably between about 5% to about 25%of the total surface area A of a top surface 170 of the cover 106.

In the present embodiment, the cover 106 has a plurality of circularapertures 168 disposed in a generally half-moon arrangement within thefirst portion 164. The present embodiment also includes a plurality ofdecorative circles 172 indented into the second portion 166 of the cover106. As shown in FIGS. 7-7A, the cover 106 also includes a post 174depending from an underside thereof. The post 174 is designed to receivethe regulating plate 114 thereon and defines an axis of rotation X ofthe regulating plate 114. The regulating plate 114 is circular with agenerally half-moon shaped window 178 disposed in a first half 180thereof. The cover 106 further includes an arc-shaped opening 182 withinthe second portion 166 of the cover 106. In the present embodiment, thecover 106 and the regulating plate 114 are both slightly domed, however,it is contemplated that the cover 106 and the regulating plate 114 maybe flat to minimize the internal and/or external volume of thedispensing system 100. Indeed, the cover 106 and the regulating plate114 may have varying shapes so long as the regulating plate 114 isdisposed adjacent to the cover 106 when attached.

When the regulating plate 114 is attached to the cover 106, a peripheralportion 184 of the regulating plate 114 extends through the arc-shapedopening 182 in the cover 106. The peripheral portion 184 allows the userto adjust the diffusion of the volatile material as discussed below. Theperipheral portion 184 of the regulating plate 114 may also include aplurality of grooves 186 to assist the user in locating and adjustingthe regulating plate 114.

In use, the regulating plate 114 rotates around the axis of rotation Xbetween an open position and a closed position when the peripheralportion 184 of the regulating plate 114 is moved by a user within thearc-shaped opening 182. The regulating plate 114 is in the closedposition when the window 178 is aligned with the second portion 166 ofthe cover 106. Thus, all of the apertures 168 are covered when theregulating plate 114 is in the closed position, thereby preventing thevolatile material of the cartridge 110 from being released through theapertures 168 into the surrounding atmosphere. In the open position, thewindow 178 is completely aligned with the apertures 168 in the cover106. Thus, in the open position the volatile material from the cartridge110 can be dispensed through the apertures 168 into the surroundingatmosphere. Additionally, the regulating plate 114 can be located in apartially open position, which is somewhere between the open and closedpositions. When the regulating plate 114 is in a partially openposition, a portion of the window 178 is aligned with the apertures 168in the cover 106. When the regulating plate 114 is in a partially openposition, the dispensing rate of the volatile material is somewherebetween the rates of dispensing found in the open position and theclosed position due to the partial coverage of the first portion 164.Aligning a greater portion of the window 178 with the apertures 168 willincrease the dispensing rate of the volatile material from the dispenser102. As such, the user can control the amount of volatile material beingreleased from the dispenser 102 by rotating the regulating plate 114.

The dispenser 102 may also include a mounting clip 190, which allows thedispenser 102 to be attached to a visor of a car. The mounting clip 190may be made of a bent wire, a formed wire, formed plastic, and the like.In the present embodiment, the mounting clip 190 is a bent wire that isreleasably inserted into apertures 192 disposed in a bottom of the base104. The mounting clip 190 can be removed from the base 104 so that thedispenser 102 may rest flat on a surface. In one particular embodiment,the mounting clip 190 comprises a conventional visor clip, which iscommonly used in connection with securing a garage door opener to a carvisor (see FIG. 11). Indeed, any type of clip may be used in connectionwith any of the dispensing system embodiments disclosed herein.

The base 104 of the present dispensing system 100 is not limited to usewith the cover 106 shown in FIGS. 1-10. Rather, the base 104 may be usedwith a variety of interchangeable covers such as those shown in FIGS.12-15A. FIGS. 12 and 12A illustrate one alternative cover 200 for use inthe dispensing system 100. The cover 200 includes a single half-moonshaped aperture 202. A circular regulating plate 204 is rotatablyattached to the cover 200 and is capable of rotating around a centrallylocated axis of rotation X. The regulating plate 204 includes twoarc-shaped windows 206 and an adjustment tab 208 extending through thecover 200. The adjustment tab 208 provides the user with the ability toadjust the dispensing rate of the dispenser 102 and provides a visualbreak between the windows 206 and the remainder of the regulating plate204. A user can control the dispensing rate of the dispenser 102 byrotatably moving the adjustment tab 208 and regulating plate 204 aroundthe axis of rotation X between an open position, in which the windows206 completely align with the aperture 202, and the closed position, inwhich the aperture 202 is completely covered by the regulating plate204. As seen in FIG. 12A, the regulating plate 204 also includes asemi-circular guide slot 210 disposed around the axis of rotation X. Theguide slot 210 receives a tab 212 depending from the cover 200. Thecombination of the tab 212 and the guide slot 210 assists in guiding therotation of the regulating plate 204. Additionally, the tab 212 andguide slot 210 also acts as a stop that informs the user when thedispenser 102 is in the fully open or closed positions, i.e., the tab212 abuts against distal portions of walls defining the slot 210 in theopen and closed positions.

In an alternative embodiment shown in FIGS. 13 and 13A, a cover 220includes a regulating plate 222. The regulating plate 222 has an axis ofrotation X located adjacent a corner 224 of the cover 220. The cover 220includes three curved apertures 226. The regulating plate 222 isfan-shaped and includes an adjustment tab 228 extending through anarc-shape guide slot 230 in the cover 220. The regulating plate 222 isrotatable between an open position, in which the adjustment tab 228 islocated at a first end 232 of the guide slot 230, and a closed position,in which the adjustment tab 228 is located at a second end 234 of theguide slot 230. In the closed position, the apertures 226 are covered bythe regulating plate 222 (see FIG. 13).

Yet another embodiment of a cover 240 is illustrated in FIGS. 14 and14A. The cover 240 includes a rectangular regulating plate 242 that doesnot rotate relative to the cover 240. Rather, the plate 242 slides in asubstantially straight line relative to the cover 240, as illustrated byarrow B. The cover 240 includes a plurality of generally rectangularapertures 244 disposed within one half of the cover 240. Guide slots 246are provided within an underside 248 of the cover 240, which allows theregulating plate 242 to slide between open and closed positions. Theregulating plate 242 also includes an adjustment tab 250 that extendsthrough a guide slot 252 in the cover 220 to allow the user to easilymove the regulating plate 242 between the open and closed positions.

FIGS. 15 and 15A illustrate another embodiment of a cover 260 andregulating plate 262. The cover includes a plurality of sections 264containing circular apertures 266 therein. The circular regulating plate262 is rotatably attached to the cover 260 and includes a plurality ofwindows 268 disposed therein. The number of windows 268 in theregulating plate 262 corresponds to the number of sections of apertures264 in the cover, such that each window 268 aligns with a section ofapertures 264 in an open position. A user may rotate the regulatingplate 262 from the open position to a closed position, in which theapertures 266 are covered by the regulating plate 262. Moving theplurality of windows 268 concurrently, as opposed to a single windowwithin a regulating plate as shown above, increases the ratio of theopening speed of the dispenser in relation to the distance theregulating plate 262 moves. As such, the user is able to open and/orclose the dispenser with less effort. Further, the plurality of windows268 increases the strength of the regulating plate 262 compared toregulating plates that include one large window or hole therein.

Turning to FIG. 16, another alternative embodiment is shown that issimilar to FIG. 7, except for the inclusion of a first magnetic elementdisposed within the base 104. The first magnetic element 270 may beprovided on an inside, outside, or within a portion of the base 104 andis adapted to functionally interact with a second magnetic element 272on or within the cartridge. For example, various possible exemplaryembodiments and descriptions of the functional interaction of magneticelements within dispensers and cartridges are shown in U.S. applicationSer. No. 12/896,583. For example, in the present embodiment the firstmagnetic element 270 is disposed within the bottom surface 144 of thebase 104 and the second magnetic 272 element is disposed within thereservoir 112 of the cartridge 110. The first and second magneticelements 270, 272, respectively, shown in FIG. 16 may be utilized inconnection with any of the embodiments disclosed herein.

An alternative embodiment of a volatile material dispenser 300 is shownin FIGS. 17-24. The dispensing system 300 is similar to the dispensingsystem 100, except for the differences noted herein. Further, it iscontemplated that various embodiments described in the followingparagraphs can be combined or interchanged with various embodimentsrelated to the dispensing system 100.

Referring to FIGS. 17-24, the alternative dispensing system 300 includesa dispenser 302 having a base 304 and an interchangeable cover 306. Thecover 306 attaches to the base 304 to define a chamber 308 therebetween.The chamber 308 (see FIG. 24) receives a volatile material refillcartridge, such as the previously presented refill cartridge 110 havingthe reservoir 112 with the volatile material therein (see FIG. 5). Thedispenser 302 further includes a regulating plate 310 mounted under thecover 306 such that the regulating plate 310 is movable relative to thecover 306. The regulating plate 310 allows the user to select a level ofdiffusion intensity of the volatile material by exposing more or less ofthe refill cartridge to the external surroundings. Further, theregulating plate 310 provides additional holes that facilitateadditional diffusion of the volatile material and provide a visualindication to the user on the amount of volatile material that thedispenser 302 is releasing.

Referring to FIGS. 19 and 20, the base 304 of the dispenser 302generally includes an upper body portion 312 and a lower body portion314. The lower body portion 314 depends from the upper body portion 312and defines a recess 316 therein. The upper body portion 312 includes ashelf 318 that extends about an upper perimeter of the lower bodyportion 312. The base 304 therefore comprises a stepped-in profile,which creates the illusion that the dispenser 302 has a lower visualweight than prior art dispensers. The stepped-in profile is furtheradapted to receive the refill cartridge 110, which also forms astepped-in profile by way of the reservoir 112 surrounded about itsupper edge by the extending flange 136 (see FIG. 5). In operation, thereservoir 112 of the cartridge 110 is placed in the recess 316 of thebase 304 such that the flange 136 rests on a plurality of longitudinalribs 320, which project upwardly from the surface of the shelf 318surrounding the recess 316. As shown in FIG. 19, a total of eightlongitudinal ribs 320 are staggered on the shelf 318, whereby four ofthe ribs 320 wrap around the corners of the base 304 and another fourribs 320 are aligned parallel with four sidewalls 322. In one aspect,staggering the longitudinal ribs 320 at various depths and regions ofthe shelf 318, such as ribs 320 placed at varying distances from theedges of the recess 316 as demonstrated in FIG. 19, allow the base 304to accommodate refill cartridges 110 having different flange 136 and/orreservoir 112 sizes.

The base 304 further provides means for securing the cover 306 thereon,such as a pair of flaps 324 protruding outwardly from two opposing sidesof the upper body portion 312. The flaps 324 are adapted to be press fitor latched with corresponding mating parts provided on the cover 306,such as a pair of wings 334 (see FIGS. 17 and 18), to securely attachthe cover 306. It is contemplated that the flaps 324 are resilient andflexible to withstand multiple attachments and removals of the cover 306and provide easy access for replacing the refill cartridge 110throughout the lifetime of the dispenser 302. Turning again to FIG. 19,the base 304 further comprises a slot 328 integrally formed on the lowerbody portion 314 for insertion of a mounting clip 330, which may beutilized for mounting the dispenser 302 onto a visor of an automobile.The mounting clip 330 is slidingly received in the slot 328 and islocked in by engaging a projection 332 provided on the underside of thebase 304 (see FIG. 23), in the present embodiment, the mounting clip 330is a bent metallic strip with a bore for hookingly engaging theprojection 332. Various locking means can be contemplated to prevent themounting clip 330 from slipping out of the slot 328, while stillproviding the user the option to remove the clip 330 and thereby deploythe dispenser 302 on a flat surface, such as a table-top or dashboard ofa car. In another aspect, different clips 330 may be used, such asmagnetic clips for attracting the dispenser 302 onto a magnetic surface,and so on.

Referring to FIGS. 17, 18, and 21, the cover 306 is a generally curvedrectangular surface with two pairs of wings 334 disposed on opposingedges and extending downwardly toward the base 304. The two wings 334have openings that latch onto corresponding mating parts provided on thebase 304, such as the two flaps 324 (see FIGS. 19 and 20). The wings 334are resilient and may be flexed or temporarily deformed to snap over theflaps 324. To disengage the cover 306 from the base 304, the user simplypresses on one or both flaps 324 inwardly to loosen the wings 334 andremove the cover 306.

Turning again to FIGS. 17, 18, and 21, the cover 306 further comprises afirst portion 336 and a second portion 338. The first portion 336 isdefined by a plurality of apertures 340 that extend through a topsurface 342 of the cover 306, while the second portion 338 includes aplurality of decorative circles 344, or other blind holes that do notentirely traverse the thickness of the top surface 342. In the presentembodiment, the first portion 336 and the second portion 338 aredisposed in an alternating pattern on the top surface 342 of the cover306, with the second portion 338 extending over the center of the cover306. Together, the first and second portions 336, 338 define a generallycircular zone of diffusion on the top surface 342. The circular zone isbounded by a series of circumferentially disposed open ports 346 thatalternate with a series of circumferentially disposed closed ports 348.It is contemplated that the open ports 346 are apertures extendingthrough the top surface 342 and the closed ports 348 are indented,decorative circles provided on the top surface 342. The open ports 346are configured to align or misalign with corresponding holes on theregulating plate 310, thereby facilitating diffusion of the volatilematerial through the cover 306 and providing a visual indication to theuser on the intensity of the diffusion. The cover 306 further providesan arc-shaped opening 350 disposed in-line with the circumferentialports 346, 348, and particularly disposed between two series of closedports 348. The arc-shaped opening 350 exposes the circular-shapedregulating plate 310 to allow the user to maneuver the plate 310 andthereby adjust the level of diffusion of the volatile material, asdiscussed below.

Referring now to FIGS. 22-24, the regulating plate 310 provides a centerhole 352 for rotatably attaching the plate 310 to a post 354 provided onan underside of the cover 306. In operation, the center hole 352 andpost 354 define an axis of rotation of the plate 310. A peripheralportion of the regulating plate 310 is exposed through the arc-shapedopening 350. The peripheral, portion includes a plurality of grooves 356or other detents disposed circumferentially about the periphery of theplate 310 to assist the user in locating and rotating the regulatingplate 310. Further, some of the plurality of grooves 356 are providedwith bores 358 that traverse through the thickness of the regulatingplate 310, thereby exposing the refill cartridge 110 from underneath theplate 310. The regulating plate 310 further provides a plurality ofwindows 360 that are configured to align with the first portion 336 ofthe cover 306 in an open position, configured to align with the secondportion 338 in a closed, position, and configured to partially span bothportions 336, 338 in a partially-open position. For instance, in theparticular embodiment as shown in FIG. 22, three windows 360 are spacedapart on the regulating plate 310 in a pattern that is complementary tothe pattern of apertures 340 and decorative circles 344 on the cover306, thus rendering the device capable of providing the completelyclosed or completely open states of the dispenser 302.

It is further contemplated that the bores 358 are grouped in a patternthat is complementary to the pattern of the windows 360 on theregulating plate 310 and to the pattern of the circumferential ports348, 346 on the cover 306. In the particular embodiment shown in FIG.22, a first series 362, a second series 364, and a third series 366 ofbores 358 are provided on the peripheral portion of the regulating plate310 and extend about solid sections of the plate 310 defined between thewindows 360. Each series 362, 364, 366 comprises an equal number ofbores 358, such as four bores 358. In turn, the peripheral edge of eachof the three windows 360 is aligned with four solid grooves 356. Inpractice, this configuration provides the user with a visual indicationof the amount of volatile material being dispensed and further providesadditional openings that allow the volatile material to pass through.For instance, in the open position as shown in FIG. 17, the first series362 of four bores 358 are exposed through the arc-opening 350 of thecover 306, while each of the second series 364 and third series 366 ofbores 358 is aligned with a series of four open ports 346 on the cover306. As such, all of the apertures 340 and the open ports 346 of thecover 306 are aligned with the bores 358 and the windows 360 of theregulating plate 310, such that the dispenser 302 is completely open formaximum diffusion of the volatile material. It is contemplated that thewindows 360 operate as the main passageways for dispensing the volatilematerial, while the bores 358 operate as both passageways for thevolatile material and as a visual indication of the dispensing intensityof the volatile material.

Conversely, in the closed position, the regulating plate 310 is rotatedsuch that all of the apertures 340 and the open ports 346 of the cover306 are misaligned with the bores 358 and the windows 360 of theregulating plate 310. Therefore, no diffusion of the volatile materialis permitted in the closed position. The closed position is visuallyindicated by four solid grooves 356 of the regulating plate 310 exposedin the arc-shaped opening 350 of the cover 306 along with solid grooves356 blocking each of the open ports 346 of the cover 306. Therefore, nobores 358 are exposed through the cover 306, which visually indicates tothe user that the dispenser 302 is in the closed state.

The regulating plate 310 can also be rotated into intermediate positionsin which the dispenser 302 is partially open to diffusion. By aligning agreater portion of the bores 358 with the open ports 346 of the cover306, and thus aligning a greater portion of the windows 360 with theapertures 340, the diffusion intensity increases and thus the dispensingrate of the volatile material increases. For instance, at a low level ofdiffusion intensity, a total of three bores 358 are visible on theentire cover 306, with one bore 358 exposed in the arc-shaped opening350 adjacent to three solid grooves 356 and thus two bores 358 alignedwith two open ports 346 of the cover 306. As such, the three visiblebores 358 allow passage of the volatile material therethrough andvisually indicate to the user that the dispensing intensity is set tolow. To increase to the next level of dispensing intensity and allow forgreater diffusion of the volatile material, the user rotates theregulating plate 310 in the direction that exposes two bores 358 in thearc-shaped opening 350. A third level of dispensing intensity isvisually indicated by three bores 358 exposed in the arc-shaped opening350, while four bores 358 in the arc-shaped opening 350 indicate maximumdispensing intensity. It is noted that the number of bores 358indicating diffusion intensities is not limiting to the presentinvention. Further, while the four bores 358 may indicate four discretelevels of diffusion, it is noted that an infinite amount of diffusionlevels may be provided. It is further contemplated that the solidgrooves 356 are colored differently than the grooves 356 having bores358 to further distinguish between open, closed, and partially-openstates of the dispenser 302.

Turning now to FIG. 24, a cross-section of the dispenser 302 taken alongline 24-24 of FIG. 17 is shown. The cover 306 and the regulating plate310 are layered together and extend convexly outward. The base 304 isgenerally flat with a stepped-in profile that defines the recess 308immediately underneath the regulating plate 310. In a particular aspect,the cover 306 is larger than the base 304 such that a gap 368 is definedbetween a cover sidewall 370 and a base sidewall 372. It is contemplatedthat the gap 368 permits the regulating plate 310 to have an increaseddiameter and/or a wide peripheral ridge 374 (see FIGS. 22-24) thatextends above and engages with an upper portion of the base sidewall372. In use, when the user rotates the regulating plate 310, a downwardforce is also applied to the plate 310. Interaction of the base sidewall372 and the peripheral ridge 374 of the regulating plate 310 preventsthe plate 310 from being accidentally pushed too far into the dispenser302 or separating from the cover 306.

It is contemplated that other covers and regulating plates having any'combination of apertures and windows may be used with any of thedispensers shown herein. It is further contemplated that the user cancontrol the amount of volatile material being released from thedispenser 302 by rotating the regulating plate 310 in accordance withthe dispensing level that is visually indicated by the bores 358 and/orthe solid grooves 356.

It is also contemplated that one or more of the base, the cover and theregulating plate may be made from an injection molded plastic, e.g.,polypropylene. However, they may also be made of other materials, suchas metal, glass, paperboard, co-polyester resins, or any other knownmaterial. Further, the base, the cover, and the regulating plate may bemade of the same or different materials.

It is still further contemplated that the base, the cover, and theregulating plate may be provided with similar or different colors orsurface indicia to impart varying aesthetic appearances. Further, avariation in color or surface indicia between one or more of the base,the cover, and the regulating plate may assist the user in properlyaligning, securing, and/or operating various portions of the dispensersshown herein.

It is also contemplated that the various covers and bases describedherein may have varying shapes and sizes. For example, the dispenser maybe provided with a square cross-section, a circular cross-section, ahexagonal cross-section, or any other geometric cross-section. It ispreferred that the base and the cover have a symmetrical shape such thatthe cover can be attached to the base regardless of its orientation.Further, it is preferable to include a plurality of covers that may beinterchanged and provided with one or more bases to provide users theability to choose a desired cover that is both functionally andaesthetically pleasing.

All documents cited in the Detailed Description of the Invention are, inrelevant part, incorporated herein by reference; the citation of anydocument is not to be construed as an admission that it is prior artwith respect to the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

Numerous modifications to the present invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description.Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative onlyand is presented for the purpose of enabling those skilled in the art tomake and use the invention and to teach the best mode of carrying outsame. The exclusive rights to all modifications which come within thescope of the appended claims are reserved.

We claim:
 1. A dispenser, comprising: a base adapted to receive avolatile material containing reservoir therein; a cover attached to thebase having at least one aperture and at least one series of ports; anda regulating plate operatively attached to the cover and having at leastone window and at least one series of bores, wherein manipulation of theregulating plate allows for the registration of the of the bores and theports to release a volatile material therethrough.
 2. The dispenser ofclaim 1, wherein the at least one series of bores is disposed on aperipheral region of the regulating plate and the at least one window isdisposed on a central region of the regulating plate.
 3. The dispenserof claim 1, wherein the at least one series of bores is aligned along anedge of the at least one window on the regulating plate.
 4. Thedispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one series of bores is offsetfrom an edge of the at least one window on the regulating plate.
 5. Thedispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one window is configured tobe registered with one or more of a plurality of apertures on the cover.6. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one series of ports isdisposed about a peripheral region of the cover.
 7. The dispenser ofclaim 1, wherein the regulating plate further comprises a plurality ofseries of bores equidistantly spaced about a peripheral region of theregulating plate.
 8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein each of theplurality of series of bores contains an equal number of bores.
 9. Thedispenser of claim 1, wherein the at least one window has a differentgeometric shape than the at least one series of bores.
 10. The dispenserof claim 9, wherein the at least one series of ports have the samegeometric shape as the at least one series of bores.
 11. The dispenserof claim 10, wherein the at least one aperture has the same geometricshape as the at least one series of bores and ports.
 12. The dispenserof claim 10, where the at least one series of bores and ports arecircular in shape.
 13. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the regulatingplate includes three windows and three series of bores defining aperipheral ring about the three windows.
 14. The dispenser of claim 13,wherein a plurality of apertures are provided for registration with thethree windows.
 15. A dispenser, comprising: a base adapted to receive avolatile material containing reservoir therein; a cover attached to thebase having at least one aperture; and a regulating plate operativelyattached to the cover and having at least one window and a series ofbores, wherein the series of bores includes at least two bores, each ofwhich is provided within a detent of the regulating plate, and whereinregistration of one or more of the bores provides a visual indication ofa level of dispensing intensity.
 16. The dispenser of claim 15, whereinat least one additional series of bores are provided within theregulating plate, which are adapted to be registered with a series ofports provided within the cover.
 17. The dispenser of claim 16, whereinthe series of bores are provided about a peripheral region of theregulating plate.
 18. The dispenser of claim 16, further comprisingthree windows disposed within the regulating plate for registration witha plurality of apertures.
 19. The dispenser of claim 15, wherein thedetents are provided to interact with a user's finger for manipulationof the regulating plate.
 20. A dispenser, comprising: a volatilematerial containing reservoir; a cover having at least one aperture anda series of ports; and a regulating plate operatively attached to thecover and having at least one window and a series of bores, wherein theseries of ports and bores have a different geometric shape than the atleast one window.